Sailmaking’s Big Three Now One
The big-three sailmakers once battled over inventories for the 52 Super Series fleet, and that will continue, even though all are now owned by NTG.
Nico Martinez/ 52 Super Series
North Technology Group, the parent company of North Sails, announced in early August that it acquired both of its primary rivals, Quantum Sails and Doyle Sails—a significant industry shift that now puts the big three of sailmaking under one roof.
Quantum and Doyle have become the latest additions to NTG’s expanding sailing and lifestyle portfolio, which now includes businesses in the mast-building and rigging space (former rivals Southern Spars, Hall Spars and Future Fibers and Rig Pro continue to operate independently), electronics and apparel, kite and wingfoil gear, and even the ubiquitous regatta management platform, YachtScoring.
According to the announcement, North, Doyle and Quantum will continue to operate independently, “retaining their unique brand identities and competing for market share,” and “continuing to manage its own lofts, sales and marketing teams, and product suites.”
For a lucrative but niche industry known for its talent-poaching and enduring market-share battles, the idea of having staunch brand-loyal salesmen suddenly playing nicely for the benefit of the sport is a novel but realistic one, says Sam Watson, NTG’s Connecticut-based CEO. “I kind of want that to continue, actually. I think that’s going to be part of us having an ongoing healthy business and climate for the customers. I want our guys out there to be still battling to win over the customer.”
North, Doyle and Quantum will continue to operate independently, retaining their unique brand identities and competing for market share.
North Technology Group and North Sails was purchased in 2014 by Oakley Capital Investments, founded by UK businessman Peter Dubens, who, as a keen sailor, says that he’s committed to growing his marine business portfolio.
“We want to grow the sport by investing in skills and innovation,” Dubens said in the announcement, “by supporting new technologies in sailmaking, and by committing to accomplishing all this in a sustainable way.”
Watson is confident that the fruits of NTG’s manufacturing capabilities and future investments will be welcomed by Doyle and Quantum loyalists. “My expectation is that the different groups will continue to live and breathe in the world that they kind of come from,” he says. “We want the brands themselves to continue to innovate using their own technology platforms, and we’ve got to invest in some stuff that’s going to be good for all of them and good for our sport. New material technologies, for example, are something that we’ll be able to invest in, to another level.”
Watson says that certain technical developments will soon trickle down from the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, of which North Sails has exclusivity across the fleet, technology that will be applicable to the superyacht market, which continues to grow in size and scale. “There’s a whole bunch of clever stuff coming when it comes to using machine learning and AI that really speed up and improve the quality of the design tools,” Watson says, “and there will be positive repercussions for all the brands.”
NTG has been investing heavily in the watersports space (wing and kite) for the past two years, and some of that development, Watson says, will usher in new materials for its sailmaking brands, allowing them access to materials and resources that may have been hard to come by before.
North Technology Group CEO Sam Watson
NTG
“The decision for Doyle Sails to combine forces with NTG was a no-brainer for David Duff, Richard Bouzaid and me,” says Doyle Sails CEO Mike Sanderson, who will continue to lead the company. “It ensures the longevity of the brand we are so committed to; it will keep challenging innovation in sailing; and it brings significant opportunities for our team, sailors and customers.”
What excites Watson the most about NTG’s sailmaking acquisitions is the “access to talent,” but for NTG, he says, succession planning is on the table, “which means bringing new talent into the business, teaching them the skills, and creating career paths for people. It’s a really important thing for us to sustain [in the] long term.”
NTG says that Ed Reynolds and Andrew Scott will continue to lead Quantum Sails, and Doug DeVos will remain involved in the business, and as an investor in North Technology Group.
The acquisitions do not affect Doyle One Design, currently based in Salem, Massachusetts, which continues to operate as a subsidiary of Doyle Sailmakers Inc., founded in 1982 by Robbie Doyle. Jud Smith, Doyle and Tomás Hornos continue to manage the Doyle One Design business independently.
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